When a team loses its leading scorer and rebounder in one season, it’s usually a cause for concern.

But for the men’s basketball team, the 2007-2008 season can’t get any worse than last year.

Despite losing senior guard Mike McKinney and center James Hughes, NIU looks to improve this year. Last season, the Huskies finished the year on March 7 with a 7-23 record. The team only managed to go 4-12 in the MAC.

After firing former coach Rob Judson, NIU went on a national search for a replacement. The man for the job: ­Ricardo Patton.

Patton spent the last 11 seasons as head coach for the Colorado Buffaloes. In his tenure, he averaged 17 wins per season, took Colorado to six postseason berths, and made it to the NCAA tournament twice.

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Once a member of the Big 12, Patton switched conferences to the MAC. However, one thing hasn’t switched: His goal of success.

“Our ultimate goal is to win a national championship,” coach Patten said. “They called me crazy when I said that at Colorado, a program that had not been the tournament in 30 years.”

To achieve this goal, Patton has assembled a roster of 19 members. Of those, 10 are returning Huskies.

Guard Zach Pancratz will be unavailable this season. The senior is using this year to redshirt as he recovers from left-shoulder surgery.

NIU brings back guards Ryan Paradise and Cody Yelder this season. Paradise averaged 10.1 points per season, while, as a freshman, Yelder posted 9.8 points per game.

The Huskies also return forward Shaun Logan, who averaged 5.5 rebounds per game in the 2006-2007 season.

Fellow forward Ben Rand also looks to be an effective weapon this season. The senior used the offseason to regain his strength as he recovers from surgery on his right knee – the same knee Rand had operated on in the 2005-2006 season.

“I think I’m just finally at 100 percent,” Rand said. “The advantage I had this year was I had all of summer and offseason to lift. I didn’t have that luxury going into last season.”

With the cast of returners, Patton also brings in nine new players. Of those players, two are from junior colleges, two are transfers from four-year institutions and five are freshman.

Sophomore center Sean Kowal will be unable to play this season, as he must sit a year from transferring from Colorado.

One newcomer to the team includes Patton’s son, Michael.

The guard has been working hard like the rest of the team to prepare for the season. Although just a freshman, Michael understands that winning will help to fill the Convocation Center.

“Everyone likes a winner,” Michael said. “If we can get some good games in here and get some good wins, people will come.”

NIU tries to start a winning season on Nov. 9 when it officially begins the 2007-2008 conquest against Northern Iowa.

However, fans can first see the Huskies in action at 7 p.m. today at the Convo. NIU will face off against Aurora University in its first of two exhibition games of the season.